Today is observed as "Emancipation Day", in remembrance of the year 1838, when slavery was abolished in many former British colonies in the Caribbean.
So, today marked the 179th anniversary of end of one the greatest injustices in human history.
And to remind Belizeans about their cultural heritage, the UBAD Educational Foundation, and their community partners invited Guyanese sociologist Dr. Patricia Rodney to Belize.
She's the wife of Guyanese activist and historian, Walter Rodney - who was assassinated. Between 1960 and 1970 he became a well known activist in the Caribbean, Europe and Africa, recognized for his activism and writings to improve the social and cultural standings of the working poor in Africa and the Caribbean.
So, his family has carried on his legacy since his death, and his wife came to Belize to share his ideas on slavery, the abolition, and the effect it is still having on modern Caribbean societies. We got a chance to speak with her today about the importance and meaning of Emancipation Day:
Dr. Patricia Rodney - Sociologist
"I was invited to give a talk on Emancipation Day, which you know is a very important day, in the lives of the peoples of Belize, and should be celebrated and honoured. And so, I was very honoured to be asked to give a talk, and I choose - I am a health - that's my area of work. I am a sociologist, but I work a lot on health issued. So, I thought I would use that for my presentation.
"Emancipation Day, is we know that the slaves were emancipated on August 1, 1838. They weren't given their emancipation. The slaves fought for their freedom, and so, all over the Caribbean, we have the same history, and should be celebrated, so that our children can know our history. If you don't know your history, you don't know where you came from. Then, you don't know where you are going. And I think that's a lot of the problem in the Caribbean, because we are in denial about who we are as a people. Everybody has a space, and everybody has a history."
Daniel Ortiz
"Is it, from your observation, something that the peoples of the Caribbean give the relevant importance to this day, as it should be?"
Dr. Patricia Rodney
"I think it's celebrated in various places differently, but I think more can be done to acknowledge. I still hear people saying, I'm not from Africa; I am from the Caribbean. Well, where did you come from? And I think that we are still hesitant and denied our heritage as a people. And I think that more needs to be done. This morning, our celebration, there should have been thousands of people out there, celebrating this important day. Actually, in every country, it should be a holiday. We celebrate lots of things that have no meaning for us. We celebrate our colonializers. We celebrate people who have de-humanized us, yet we don't celebrate ourselves."
Right now, she's giving a presentation at the Gateway Youth Center in Belize City.
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